Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

r:::=--;:;:;-::;:-:-;-;;;-:;;"""=-:-:--==:<'":"==",~-::"...",==r-:-"...,.--"""",,...,.--.:J LU Cl o LU ....l LU '" >- ~~~; ~ b ::I: a. w ...J u: Gui lloux, delighted the 30,000strong crowd by letting Mertens ride the final session and take the checkered flag in front of his own fans. Mertens expressed his jubilation by standing up 'o n the footrests nearly th e entire length of the sta rt/fin ish straight. So another victory for H onda, and one that puts Vieira a t the head of the cha m pions hip table wi th 100 poi nts. Although it is theoreti call y possible for Igoa and Bolle to ca tch u p, Vieira's number o f race wi ns will give him , and H onda France, th e 1989 FIM Co u pe d 'Endurance. Results SPA 24 -HOUR: 1. Vieira /Merl ens/Burnen (Hon); 2 . Oxley/Manley/Chamber s (Hon); 3. M oineau/Cr ine /Graziano (Suz); ' 4 . Ig oa / Bo u ~ he be n/ Bolle (Kaw ); 5. Brand/Van de Wa ll Door akkers (Yam); 6. Sch laefl i/Meier / M onsch (Hon); 7 . Toning /Moe /Valdarhaug (Hon ); 8 . Verkenne/Berger/Toffolo (Hon); 9. Morris/Middleton /Delhotellerie (Han); 10 . Letouze /Furl ing / Jol ivet (Suz); 1 1. Bolliger/Perren/Muller (Kaw); 12. Ehl/Hafner/Karthin (Hon); 13. Weynand/ Dupu is/Braun (Suz); 14. 1. Crnojevic/Heiler/ Ho nda 's A lex Vieira (show n), Stephane Mertens and Roger Burnett won t he S pa 24-Hour. Vieira now lead s the Co up d'E ndurance po int sta ndin gs: FIM COUp d'Endurance Vieira, Burnett, Mertens top Spa 24-Hour By Kel Edge FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM, AUG. 12-13 The factory H onda RVF750 of Alex Vieira, Stephane Mertens a n d Roger Burnett p roved unbeatable in th e 17th edition o f th e 24 Hours o f Liege, o r Spa 24Hour as it is better kn own. The trio built u p a co mforta ble lead a t halfrace d istan ce and were able to control the race fro m the front, go ing into th e fin al stages. Th e Th at 's Ra cing a ll -Br itis h team o f Mot or Cycle News journalist Matt Oxley, Steve Ch am bers a nd Steve Manl ey, fini sh ed a su pe rb seco nd o n th eir H onda RC30, just three laps do wn from the victo rs. T h ird spo t went to last year's World C h a m p io ns (a n d Spa 24- Ho u r winners) H erve Moineau , Thierr y Crine and Mario G raziano on th e works Suzuki, wh o held off a deter mined lat e cha llenge from the works Kaw asak i o f Patrick Igoa, ' Christophe Bouheben and Pierre Boll e. Pr acti ce had been pl agu ed with mixed wea ther condi tio ns a nd th e British tea m of OxleyI Cha mbersl Ma n ley un exp ectedl y fou nd them selves o n the pol e after pu tting in a few fast laps JUSt befor e condi tio ns de teriorated. T he H onda Fran ce tea m had drafted in local Belgi an hero Ste p ha ne Mert en s to ride wi th curren t cha m pionship lead er Ale x Vieira o f Fran ce a nd h is fellow World Superbi ke Ser ies rid er, Brit R o g er Burn e tt . Ame rica n Dou g Tola nd , a test rid er for Cycle World magazin e, was havin g h is second European 24-Hou r experience, a nd he a nd hi s Belgian teammates Hubin and Sim ul qu al ified eigh th fastest. Da rk. me naci ng clouds hung over the area as 5 1 riders sp ri nted across the track a nd on to their mach in es. A tr em endou s ro ar we nt up as Cha m bers go t a terri fic start, chased by a frant icall y wh eel yin g Moineau. T h ro ug h th e ex ha us t smo ke, th ou gh, racers co uld be seen dartin g to a nd fro, and when th e smo ke clea red there were bikes and rid ers scatte red a ll o ver th e track . Alm ost 'rig h t a way , th e crossed flags were di spla yed, and th e race was halted before th e ride rs cou ld even com p lete o ne lap. Wh at had happened was that o ne o f th e bikes had not fired u p , and th e team manager had tried to push start it with 40 or so bik es all racing to get away behind him. He was struck by a bike, maybe two , and a couple of bikes coming from the seco nd half of the grid plowed into th e wreckage. The unfortunate team manager was tak en to th e hospital with a fractured skull , and th e race was re-started aft er a dela y o f 30 m inutes. The second tim e th e whol e field go t away smoothl y wit h Cha m bers aga in leading th e streami ng pack up th e hill past Ea u Rouge. Moineau on the Suzuki, Viei ra on th e H onda a nd Igoa o n th e Ka wasaki were a ll in close co nte ntio n. Within two laps Vieira took th e H onda into th e lead , chased by Moineau' s Su zuki a nd Igoa 's Kaw asaki. T wo hours lat er th e heavy drizzle started and the in cid ents that determined th e race pattern took pl ace. T he works Kaw asaki .u n believably ra n o u t of fuel. The number-three Suzuki rider , Graziano , cras hed th e wo rks bik e whe n he clipped a wh ite lin e in the wet, a nd had a very lo ng pu sh in . Th e Suzuki mech an ics worked lik e madmen , replacing a ll the fiberglass, footpegs, clip-e ns a nd th e co n tro ls. The T ha t's Racing Honda had a lrea dy made an unsch edul ed pit stop wh en it started losin g o il: th e fa ult was discovered to be a co u ple of slac k .bol ts o n th e rea r roc ker box . At th e halfwa y mark, Vieira, Burnett and Mert ens led from Sch lae fli /M e ie r/Mon sch , a lso H onda mounted. Third was th e Dutch Yam ah a OWOl team of Brand/ Van de Wal /Do o rakkers. T he wor ks Suzu ki a nd Kaw asak i were in lo wl y nin th a nd 10th pl aces respectively a fter their sto ps, wh ile T ol an d was red uced to being a spectator. H is H ond a h ad been h a vin g severe overhea ting probl em s, a nd the team pi tied se ve ra l tim es bef ore th e mech anics ga ve up th e strugg le. No matt er how mu ch water they added to th e radi a tor, it still found its way O U I. As th e race en tered its fin al sta ges, a nd th e works Honda held a cus hio n o n its pursuers, th e ma in battl e was betw een Suzuki and Ka wasak i for the number -three positi on. Meanwhil e, th e T ha t's Racing team had thought a bo u t trying to catch Vieria/Burnett/Mertens on th e Honda, but realized that th eir task was impossible, a nd settled do wn for a safe seco nd place, three laps behind. T he fight for third was won by Moineau , Crin e and Graziano a fter a ferocious scra p with Igoa, Bouheb en and Bolle. The H onda team manager, Mr. Schiller (Suz); 15. Ferrer/ Michon/ Muchery (Hon).. FIM COUP D'ENDURANCE POINT STANDINGS: 1. Alex Vieira (100); 2. Roger Burnell (801; 3. (TIE) Patrick Igoa/ Pierre Bolle 16 5. Tsukamoto (43); 0); 6. (TIE) Stephane Merlens /Man ioJi (40); 8. Man Oxley (3B); 9. (TIE) Herve Moineau / Thierry Cr;ne (37). McElroy rules Cycleland Motocross By Leo Trombley C H ICO . CA . AUG . 12 Suzu ki p ilot Scot t McEl roy sco red co me- frombehi nd victories in all three Expert/Interrnediate mOlDS to nigh t a t Cydela nd Racewa y. Moto on e saw Yamah a rid er Edd ie Reed grab th e ho les hot w ith Suzu ki-mo u nted J im my Ro bertso n righ t beh ind . The duo wa s closely followed by McEl ro y, Sia n Finney and Travis Shute. Reed led the pack arou nd for two la p s as :'\ cElr o y pressed Ro bertson for 1 seco nd. By the third la p Reed . Robertson a nd McE lroy were in ch es a pa rt . McElroy made a move.and got by Robert so n and th en c~ased Reed . As the two approached the do uble Ju m p in fro n t of the sta n ds . McEl ro y grabbed j u st a lillie more throttle. giving h im more spe:d as the two d ro p ped into a ISOdegree switch back . Reed ended up dro p p in g beh in d both Robert son a nd Finney. McElr oy began to bui ld a lead a n d was never pressed agai n. Reed regai ned his co m pos ure a n d fir st passed Fin ney and then reeled in Robert so n. On th e whi te-nag lap with two turns to go. h e passed Robert son . As they a p proached the finis h line do ub le jump. Rob erts on b lasted o ff th e jum p, outdistan cing Reed a nd ca p t urin g seco nd p lace by the len gth of a knob o n a n ew ure,' Robertson ri pped th e ho lesho t for moto two . McElro y was in last p lace, a nd Reed was in fou rth . Both had a lot o f ground to ma ke u p as Robert son bel:an to pull away. By lap th ree. Reed was ga m ing o n Rob ertson , but McE lroy was h ung up behind Ti m Nobl es. On a flat corne r. Rob ert son's front was hed ou t a nd Reed . McElro y a nd Nobl es all I>0t by. On a nat turn. McEl ro y took a n insi de line a nd ja m med pa st No b les o n ly to fin d himself with a five-seco nd defici t beh in d Reed . A la p la ter, a nd sti ll two seco n ds down , McE lro y closed o n Reed as th e two double jumped in fro nt o f the sta nds. As Reed entered the switchback , he appl ied a li ttle too much front bra ke. forci ng hi s YZ deep into the berm and a llo wed McElro y 10 di ve ins ide a nd take the lead . On th e white nag lap, Reed made the same m ista ke agai n a llowmg No b les to pa ss a nd take over second. McElroy too k the chec kered. with Nobles a distant seco nd, Reed third a rid Ro bert so n in fourth . Eddie Reed took the hol esh c r for more th ree with Ro bert so n and McEl roy right behi nd . First Rober tson go t by Reed a nd then McElro y did the sa me . On la p three , Rob ert so n a nd McElroy app roached the finish line do ubl e jump. McElro y held a lin e 1 Ro bert son's left 0 and th en o ut-j um pe d him . T h is fo rced Robertson ou tsi de for t he n ex t left- hand sw itchback a nd McEl ro y u sed the adva ntage to take over the lead. McEJro y we nt o n 10 build a comforta b le ma rgi n a nd fin ish first agai n . Both Reed a nd No b les closed the gap o n Roberts on. Reed cha lle nged a n d ca p tu red seco n d. the n Robert son forced Reed o utside in a tu rn a nd retook second. Reed . nOI giving up, repa ssed Rob erts on , secu ri ng seco nd again a nd then ba iled in a tight turn , su rre nderi ng seco nd to Rob ert son C th e last lime. Tim or No b les passed the fall en Reed a nd took o ver th ird . The checker saw McElr oy first, Robert son seco nd a nd Nobl es in th ird. Resul ts MINI : 1. Brian St ewart (Suz); 2. Dami en Rush (Han); 3 . Jason Fox (Suz). 125 NO V: 1. Doug Li ndgre n (Kaw); 2. Charl ie Cas tor (Kaw); 3 . M ichael Rich CSuz). 125 JR : 1. Darrell Mabrix (Han) . 250 NOV : 1. Brandon Williams (Han ); 2 . Dean Harper (Kaw ); 3 . Terry Garner (Han) . 250 JR : 1. Paul Park (Yam l; 2 . Joh n Nolin d (Honl; 3. Rich Bol eman IKaw). OPEN NOV; 1. Ronald Naylor IA TKI; 2. Todd W ore (Hon); 3 . W ade Snodgrass (Suzl . VET: 1. La nce Sellers (S uz); 2. Kenny Si ew art (Han). EX: 1. Scon McElroy (Suz); 2 . Jimmy Robertson (Suzl; 3. Tim Nobles (Suz). Westby hauls at Hallett RR By Simone Janssen HALL ETr. O H. J ULY 30 A reco rd number of specta to rs overcame the heat to enjoy a da y fu ll of exci ting racing a t H allen Racewa y. Due in part to the O klahoma H onda Deal er Associa tio n a nd the co ntin ued support from K&N Yamah a a nd the ha rd work o f t h e H all e n Road racing C lub. H al le n Ra cew a y's road races ha ve beco me successful mo n thl y events . Ninetee n ride" lined up for the Middl eweigb r/Lig h rweight G P even t, West by. riding a H o n da CB R600, sponsored b y H ond a P rod ucts In ter na tional. Kano Specia lties a nd Mich eli n and Da n Ra y. sponsored by Supercuts. AGV, K&N Yamaha , Lockha rd , ridi ng a Ya maha FZR600 . got off the li ne together. Wi th Westby taking the lead in turn two . Dan n y Lu th er o n a n FZR 600 held th ird. Da vid Bower a nd Do n n y Meadors ba ttled for fourth. w estby began to p u ll out a n adva ntage over Ray , who had a co mforta b le lead over Luther. Mea dors had passed Ro wer a nd was runn ing fourth . O n th e seven th la p , Ra y sta rted to clo se in on w estby. who was star ring to feel the effects o f the hea t. \Vestb y held o n Cor the win a nd Ra y ended seco nd. Danny Luther took th ird . Donnv Mead or s took fourth a nd Frank J aw or ski ended up fifth . Heavyweight Supcrbike sa w Westby start where he fin ished th e last race. However . his lead was sho rt-lived as Dewayne Davis and Sam McDonald both p assed him before the completion of the first la p . McD onald held th e lead as th ey ca me arou nd for la p one. with Davis close in seco n d , Westb y third and J eff H arder fourth. McDonald bega n to stretch his lead o ver Davis as w estby co n tin ued to drop back with hea t fati gue, p u lli ng in th e pits a n d endin g hi s race o n lap three. By lap four Blevin s had moved into fo urth pl ace. The race looked set til lap seven whe n Harder pulled in o ut of ' he race. At the finish . McDonald o n h is K&N RacinglTsubak ilBeIl H el me tsspon sored Yamaha FZR 750 took th e win wi th Dew a yn e Da vis seco nd. Robert Blevin s th ird a nd Ed Mil es fo urth . Resu tt s M /W GP; 1. Tryg W est by (Han); 2 . Dan Ray (Yaml; 3 . Danny Lut her (Yam); 4 . Donny M eador (Han); 5 . Frank J aworski (Hon). HIW S/BK: 1. Sam M cDona ld (Yam); 2. Oewayn e Davis (Su zl; 3. Raben Blevins (Su z); 4 . Ed M iles lKaw); 5. Greg McKinstry (Ya m) , M IW S/SPRT: 1. Br itt Turk ington (S uz); 2 . Rick Kirk (Suzl; 3 . Dan Ray (Yam); 4 . Oliver Bill ing sley (Su z); 5. M ike Hart h ISuz). U/L GP; 1. Tryg Westby (Han); 2 . Raben Blevins (Su z); 3 . Jeff Hard er (Suzl; 4 . DarneR Dar cy fYaml; 5 . Joe Dyer (Suzi . U/ L S/SPRT: 1. M ike Harth (Suzl; 2. Britt Turk ingt on (Suz); 3. Rick Kirk (Su zl; 4 . Dew evn e Davis (Suz); 5 . Oliver Bill ing sley (S02I. MiW S/BK: 1. Oan Ray (Yam); 2. Randy Stamps (Yam): 3 . Donn y M eadors {Honl; 4 . Paul Craig (Hon l; 5 . Fran k Jaworski (Han). UW S/B K: 1. J im Kiefe r (Yam); 2 . Kevin LeGrand (Honl ; 3 . Allmand All en (Han). UW $ /SPRT: 1. J im M osley {Yam ); 2. Charles M ilan (Han); 3. Mi ke Hart sell (Yam ). SITW: 1. Jer ry Perry (Han); 2 . Ma ck Gr een (Yaml . H/W S/SPAT: 1. Mi ke Harth (Suz ); 2 . Rick Kirk (Suz); 3 . n ew evn e Davi s (Suz); 4 . Oliv er Bilh ng sl ey lSuzl; 5. Robert Blevin s (Suzl. YSR: 1. Sam M cDonald; 2 . Gen e Zirg er; 3 . David Carter ; 4 . Jo hn Ewing; 5 . Fred Pearc e. Newell wins Hill Top Hare Scrambles By Arlene Hej lek SE DALI A. MO , AUG. 6 S L Lou is H o n da -sp onsored Tim Newell scored h is seco nd overa ll wi n th is season at the Missou ri H a re Scrambles Series a t H ill Top Racewa y. Newell . th e 1988 Seri es Champion. took th e ho lesho t o n h is H o nda C R250 a nd lat er sai d thai was j ust th e sta rt o f a perfect ride. At the end o f the firs t la p, Newell came arou nd 30 seco nds ahead of Ya maha-mo u nt ed Rusty Reyn au d who was fo llowed by J im Sta n field. New ell a nd Reyn aud stayed 30 seco nds a part th e en tire two ho u rs and were th e only IWO riders to go eig h t laps o n th e dusty 6.6-mile cou rse. Sta nfiel d had to stop after the seco n d la p to Iix a fla t tire a nd lsot five positions in th e p rocess. It d idn 't la ke h im lo ng to cat ch u p. however . as he powered bis KX250 back int o the th ird position by th e fifth lap a n d kept it there unt il th e finish. After sta rt ing in lasI place. Dwane Mii nc h gassed-h is H onda and picked off riders unti l he nailed down fou rt h p lace. foll owed by C hris Ca p li nger. Ron Ribolzi received a few su rprised looks whe n passing j iders saw how neatl y h e h ad fit h is Honda a nd h im self un der a downed tree, He was a ble to ex trac t h im self a nd hi s bik e a n d fin ish six th o vera ll a nd fift h pl ace Expert. Six th p lace Expert wen t (0 Greg Su rd yk e. Wa yn e St ruc ko ff was in fi ft h position whe n he hooked hi s front whee l o n rhe brak e ca lipe r o f Super Senior H aro ld Newe ll' s Honda bringing th em both down. Ribolx i a nd Surdv kc then p assed him a nd Struckoff fini shed in seven th place. J a y Willi ams a nd Dave O sborn diced for the lead in th e O pen class. The wi n ner was decided on the last la p wh en O sborn h it a tree. William s pulled a hea d to tak e fir st p lace foll owed by Donnie Agnew . who was never far beh in d the lead pair. O sborn was ab le to limp in to ta ke th ird. At th e end o f th e first lap Chris Hutson.

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